Tainted cop denied bail

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Tarak Das

An Alipore court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of suspended constable Tarak Das after police submitted medical reports confirming attempts to strangle a Trinamul activist, who has accused the tainted cop of assault.

The two medical reports the public prosecutor produced before the magistrate said there were marks of strangulation on the throat of complainant Sudip Pal.

Das, who faces five cases and four departmental inquiries, was arrested in Bishnupur, South 24-Parganas, last Sunday after being on the run for more than a month since the alleged assault.

After he was produced in the court the next day, his lawyer submitted while pleading for his bail that there was no medical evidence to back the complaint of attempted strangulation.

The magistrate asked the police to produce the case diary and relevant medical reports on Thursday.

While pleading for bail during the day, the defence lawyer submitted that the strangulation marks mentioned in the medical reports did not prove his client’s involvement.

The public prosecutor opposed the bail plea, saying there were witnesses who said Das had tried to strangle the complainant.

Based on Pal’s complaint, the police have started two cases — attempted murder and causing grievous hurt —against Das. The court granted Das bail in the second case but denied relief in the first.

Das had allegedly assaulted Pal and his friends, all known to be Trinamul activists, near Baghajatin railway station on the night of February 1 while they were distributing copies of the party mouthpiece.

The police have linked the alleged assault to a campaign launched by the group against “attempts by Das” to fill up ponds in the area.

Das, known to be a Trinamul activist, will be produced in the court again on March 15. He was suspended twice last year — first in April for his alleged role in ransacking a CPM office in Patuli and assaulting journalists and then again after he allegedly hit a promoter in July.